Arrangement on gyrocompasses for preventing errors due to rolling of the vessel



May 6 192.4. 1,493,214

0. MARTIENSSEN ARRANGEMENT on GYHOCOMPASSES FOR PREVENTING muons DUE TO ROLLING OF THE VESSEL Filed Aug. 51 1921 Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED STATES osoaa mm'mnssnn, or KIEL, GERMANY.

ARRANGEMENT ON GYROCOMPAS SES FOR PREVENTING ERRORS THE VESSEL.

Application flledAugust 31, 1921. Serial No. 497,419.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L, 1313.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, OSCAR MARTIENSSEN, physicist, citizen of the German Republic, and residing at Kiel,-county of Schleswig- Holstein, State of Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arrangements on Gyrocompasses for Preventing Errors Due to Rolling of the Vessel (for which I have filed applications in' Germany, October 22nd, 1915, Patent Number 307,847, granted June 11th, 1918; Austria, October th, 1917, Patent Number 7 9,138, granted August 12th, 1919; England, July 10th, 1920, Patent Number 148,963,

. 15 granted September 15th, 1921'), of which the following is a specification.

It is known that a gyro-compass on a ship, when aflected by the rolling of the vessel, assumes a position that deviates more or less 2 from the meridian. This deviation is caused by oscillations which, when the ship rolls, are executed by the indicating movement of the gyro-compass about anaxis lying parallel to the axis of the compass. Hence to 2 obviate the error of rolling of the gyrocompass it is necessary to suppress these oscillations as far as possible or to prevent them from occurring. This is eifectually ac complished by making the natural periodic time of these oscillations of the said movement'much greater than the period of oscillation of the lurching of the ship. A

known manner of fulfilling this requirement consists in distributing the masses in such a way that, as regards oscillations about the axis of the gyro, the movement is almost balanced. Now by this measure a coincidence of the periodic time of the movement and a harmonic of the rolling motion, and hence the occurrence of very large oscillations of the movement can be prevented, but it is difiicult to attain a time period of oscillation appreciably'greater than the period of the rolling movement, without detriment to practical use. The object of the invention is to fulfill the requirement first mentioned without involving the said disadvantage.

In accordance with the invention this is accomplished by associating with the meridian gyro a gyro having a vertical spinning axis and b arranging the latter in such a manner t at it does nothinder the 'ring -f, and suspended by a wire 9.

the stability, of the movement required .in.

movements of elevation of the indicating gyro. The gyro with the vertical axis may be associated with the indicating movement itself or, if theapparatus is'equipped with a follow-up device that causes the movements of the gyro to be followed by members associated with it,-it may be associated with this device.

A constructional form of the invention is illustrated in the drawing in diagrammatical form in longitudinal, vertical section.

a is the meridian gyro whose axis 1). ex tends at right angles to theplane of the drawing and which, together with its casing c, is adapted to turn on pivotsd in a vertlcal ring e. These parts constitute the actual indicating movement which in turn is pivotally mounted at 11 in a second veritlilclal 15 indicating movement is operatively connected'to the ring f through a following up or turning device it of a character, shown and described for instance in my copending application, Serial No. 497,417. Hence the rm fis continually caused to turn after, or fol ow the horizontal movements'of the ring 6 so as to always keep these two rings in the same relative positions. Therefore the position of the outer rin f indicates the position of the axis of t e meridian gyro. A carrying member 2' is attached to the outer ring f which bears a compass chart k at its upper end. The lower part of the carrying member 71 is arranged to act as a journal shaft for theentire movement of the compass, this journal shaft being arranged to revolve in a ball-bearing havin two races of balls Z, I, mounted in a bearing plate m which, in conjunction with a ring 12., forms a gimbal. Mounted on the bearing plate m I In the constructional form shown, the cas ing of the vertical gyro may be immovably fixed by the pins 9 to the casing 1*, because this will 'not prevent the gyro a from swingtical gyro resulting I drawing,

ter of gravity of this gyro er elevation on its horizon.-

ing into the pro ependently of the vertical tal pivots d in If it is immovably connected with its support, it will offer resistance to any force, which as in the case of rolling motions, tends to turn the device in the plane of the drawing (for instance in its cardanic suspension) and it will produce an efiect by which this turning wi 1 not take place in the plane of the but if not entirely, at least partially at right angles thereto, i. e., substantially in the plane of elevation of the meridian gyro spinning axis. Besides, it will retard such turning or oscillations caused by the rolling motion of the ship. The motion of the verin a movement in a direction at right angles to the plane of the drawing, however, is of no consequence, because the meridian gyro which is mounted with its casin on horizontal pivots d, referred to hereinbefore, does not participate in this movement.

If it be desired to prevent this resulting motion of the structure carrying the meridian gyro, the vertical gyro should have its casing preferably pivoted on a horizontal axis extending at right angles to the spinning axis of the meijdian gyro, so that the vertical gyro may now swing by itself in a direction at right angles to the plane of the drawing, without carrying the whole meridian ro indicating device with it. v

us if a loose coupling were established between the casing of the meridian gyro and the follow-up frame f b a damping means, the vertical gyro p could also be arranged to turn on its supports 9 as pivots. In this case the vertical gyro casing must be equipped with a bottom weight 8, which may be vertically adjustable to properly adjust the cenbelow the pivotal axis. By these means always return with its spinning axis into vertical position, so that this position may be conveniently maintained.

I claim:

1. An arrangement for gyro compasses for preventing errors due to rollin of the vessel,

the combination with a meri ian gyro and suitablesupporting means to permit its spinning axis to freely swing into the proper elevatlon, of a second gyro having a vertical spinning axis and being attached to said support ng means, to ofierresistance to any force tending to turn said supporting means in a plane at right angles to the meridian compass axis, thereby precessing substantially in the dlrection of the plane of elevation of the meridian gyro spinnin axis and thereby tendmg to suppress sai turning movement.

2. An arrangement for gyro compasses for preventing errors due to rollingof the vessel, the combination with a meridian gyro and sultable supporting means to permit its spin.-

the vertical gyro will meridian gyro spinning axis,

aeaaara preventing errors due to rolling of the ves sel, the combination with a meridian gyro and suitable supporting means to permit its spinning axis tofreely swing into the proper elevation, of a second gyro having a vertical spinning axis, and being pivotally attached to said supporting means upon a horizontal axis at right angles to the meridian gyro spinning axis, to oiier resistance to any force tending to turn said supporting means in a plane at right angles to the meridian compass axis, thereby precessing substantially in the direction of the plane of elevation of the meridian gyro spinning axis, and thereby tending to suppress said turning movement, the center of gravity of said vertical gyro being disposed below its horizontal pivotal axis to cause the return of the gyro to its vertical position. 4

4. An arrangement for gyro compasses, for preventing errors due to rolling of the vessel, the combination with a meridian gyro and suitable supporting means to permit its spinning axis to freely swing into the proper elevation, of a second gyro having a vertical spinning axis, to said supporting means upon a horizontal axis at right angles to the meridian gyro spinning axis, to ofler resistance to any force tending to turn said supporting means in a plane at ri ht angles to the meridian compass axis, there y precessing substantially in the direction of the plane of elevation of the and thereby tending to suppress said turning movement, the center of gravity of said vertical gyro being adjustably disposed below its horizontal pivotal axis to cause the return of the gyro to its vertical position.

5. A gyro compass arrangement for preventing errors due to the rolling of the vessel, having a meridian gyro, means for piv otally supporting it to permit its spinning axis'to swing to the proper elevation, rotatable means for supporting it to permit said axis to swing horizontally and means for causing said rotatable means to follow the horizontal movements of the meridian gyro, in combination with a gyro having a vertical spinning axis and being suitably atsaid vertical gyro offering resistance to any force tending to said rotatable means 1n a plane at right anglesto the meridian compass axis, said vertical gyro thereby tending to precess substantially in the directiono the plane of elevation of the meridian gyro axis, and thereby hindering oscillations of the gyro compass about an axis extending in parallel to the meridian gyro spinning axis.

6. A gyro compass arrangement for preventing errors due to the rolling of the vessel, having a meridian gyro, means for pivotally supporting it to permit its spinning axis to swin to the proper elevation, rotatable means or supporting it to permit said axis to swing horizontally and means for causing said rotatable means to follow the horizontal movements of the meridian gyro,

in combination with a gyro having avertical spinning axis, and being pivotally attached to said rotatable supporting means on a horizontal. axis at right angles to the merldian gyro spinning axis, said vertical gyro ofierlng resistance to any force tending to swing said rotatable means in a plane at right angles to the meridian compass axis, said vertical gyro thereby tending to precess substantially in the direction of the plane of elevation of. the meridian gyro axis, and thereby hindering oscillations of the gyro compass about an axis extending imparallel to the meridian gyro spinning axis.

horizontal movements of the meridian gyro,

in combination with a gyro having a verti-, cal spinning axis, and being pivotally attached to said rotatable supporting means on a horizontal axis at right angles to the meridian gyro spinning axls, said vertical ro offering resistance to any force tending to swing said-rotatable means in a plane at right angles to the meridian compass axis, said vertical gyro thereby tendin to precess substantially .in the direction 0 the plane of elevation of themeridian gyro axis, and thereby hindering oscillations of the gyro compass about an axis extending in parallel to the meridian gyro spinning axls, the

center ofgravity of said vertical gyro being adjustably disposed below its horizontal pivotal axis to cause the return of the gyro to its vertical position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

* OSCAR MARTIENSSEN. Witnesses:

Wnamm Fiscnntma, KARL Hans Boson. 

